L.A.'s Other Team

After years of playing second fiddle and watching the playoffs from home, this may be the season that the Los Angeles Clippers are able to take a step into NBA Playoff contention.



This team's future can be so bright that you may need to put on a pair of the sunglasses LeBron wears to actually be able to see what the Clippers may be able to accomplish in the years to come.  This is a team that could very well have made the playoffs in the 2010-11 season, if not for injuries to the young but talented Eric Gordon, as well as Chris "Caveman" Kaman, who the year before averaged a career high 18.5 points per game.  There was also this other guy, who kind of defied the laws of gravity, got voted to the All-Star game, jumped over a car, and averaged 22 points while grabbing 11 boards over the course of the season.  Call me a casual NBA fan if you want, but for the life of em I cannot think of this guy's name.  Blake Griffin, that's right.  But in all seriousness, will we ever see another rookie season like Blake provided us this year?  The excitement, the unpredictability, the nearly impeccable style from a player who was the first rookie to be voted to the All-Star game since a bank-shotting 6'11" forward by the name of Tim Duncan was the last to accomplish this feat in the 1997-98 NBA season. 

Now, I could sit at my computer all day and praise Blake Griffin's name, proclaim him as the "Chosen One" and say that nobody on this team can even lace his shoes, but I would be fooling myself, and everyone else taking time out of their day to read this.  I'm sorry to burst everyone's bubble who thinks the Clippers are just a one man team, but former Hoosier Eric Gordon did average 22 points a game last season.  He's not exactly a slouch.  The thing that people often overlook about Eric Gordon however, is his ability to come through for his team at the end of games.  A team that has always been tormented by opponents because they lacked a true closer may now be able to collect quality victories in big games because they have a primetime player to lean on.  Besides, if Blake is being double teamed, remember, Eric Gordon may not be the best three point shooter in the world (37% for his career), but he can definitely knock down open looks from the perimeter. 

And last but not least, the Cipps' Run 'n' Gun style may be the x-factor in them making the playoffs.  We know that Blake Griffin, Eric Gordon, Eric Bledsoe, and if he gets substantial playing time this upcoming season, Jamario Moon, don't mind getting out on the fastbreak.  If all else fails, Chris Kaman and Mo Williams give should give you a stable two-man game when called upon.  If all of these things fall into place, expect the Clippers not only to be in the playoffs, but to give some established championship contenders tons of problems in the 2012 postseason.